Scandal

In the backyard of the Zhou residence.

Madam Huang sat in the seat of honor, her twilight years marked at this moment by grief and indignation. The other women of the household sat surrounding her, endlessly voicing their condemnation of Qiuyue, who knelt below.

Madam Lin, as the wife of the eldest branch of the Zhou family, was furious beyond measure. Pointing at Qiuyue, she cursed, "You lowly wench, utterly devoid of shame!"

"Truly delusional, actually daring to seduce the Old Master."

From the side, Chen Nianqiu spoke coldly. "Qiuyue, our Zhou family has not treated you thinly, ensuring you lived without worry for food or clothing. Yet you dared to commit such a reckless act. It is simply audacious."

The younger wives and concubines seated on either side also joined in, tossing out reprimands one after another.

But upon closer inspection, they were also constantly weighing the expressions of the two madams. Their words subtly provoked the older women's nerves, hoping to stoke their anger enough to have Qiuyue put to death.

As the Zhou family's enterprise grew, its descendants had naturally began to branch out. Zhou Changhe alone had one wife and one concubine, Madam Sun and Madam Qian. He even had two children: a boy named Zhou Chengqian, and a girl named Zhou Qianyun.

The second lineage of the eldest branch also had Mu Lushi and the posthumous child in her womb.

The second branch, Zhou Minghu, also had two concubines, Madam Wang and Madam Niu.

Aside from Mu Lushi, the other four wives and concubines each represented a clan under the Zhou family's banner.

Then there were Zhou Chang'an, Zhou Xuanya, and Zhou Bai. In the future, they too would marry and have children, transforming a single family into a sprawling clan. Inevitably, distinctions of closeness and distance would arise, with everyone striving to secure a larger foundation for their own lineage.

And now, this Qiuyue had actually seduced Zhou Dashan. Worse, she was already pregnant; the wood was carved into a boat.

That meant the Zhou family was about to gain another branch, and the interests of the first and second branches would suffer. Naturally, they united to face the outside threat. This was especially true since this impending third branch was not born of Madam Huang, making it inherently at odds with the first two. It simply could not be tolerated.

As for the servant girls standing farther away, some watched with cold detachment, mocking Qiuyue's delusions. Others, however, had flickering eyes that revealed entirely different thoughts.

They were secretly annoyed, wondering why they hadn't thought of doing the same. Even if they couldn't establish a new branch, catching the eye of one of the young masters would allow them to rise in status through their sons. They could live a life of wealth and splendor, never having to serve others again!

Seated above, Madam Huang slowly opened her clouded eyes. Her gaze swept across the room, instantly seeing through the thoughts of those servant girls. She then barked, "Qiuyue has offended her superiors and shown no respect for rank. Drag her down and beat her severely!"

"Chunlan failed in her discipline. Dock her monthly allowance for three months."

A mature woman stepped out from the side, bowing deeply to Madam Huang. "Chunlan acknowledges her mistake."

Since Zhou Hu was arranged to become a village steward, Huixiang and Zhou Sisi had followed him there. Zhou Shi's widow, Chunlan, had then become the steward of the Zhou family's female servants. As for her son, Zhou Liang, he had become Zhou Bai's personal book-boy.

As soon as Chunlan stepped forward, several servant girls moved to seize Qiuyue and drag her away. Qiuyue's lower abdomen was slightly swollen; it was precisely because she could no longer hide it that her secret had been exposed.

She had previously acted neither haughty nor humble, thinking that carrying the Zhou family's seed meant she could rest easy without worry. But now, seeing this terrifying display, she panicked. She struggled desperately, crying out in supplication.

"Old Madam, Qiuyue knows she was wrong. Please spare Qiuyue!"

She was only four months pregnant. If she suffered a severe beating, she would very likely miscarry. How could she enjoy wealth and glory then?

"Qiuyue carries the Zhou family's flesh and blood..."

As Qiuyue continued to beg bitterly, Madam Huang cast her a look of pure disgust and waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.

She knew that if this matter was not severely punished, the servant girls would harbor restless thoughts in the future, even setting their sights on her own sons and grandsons.

Just then, a hunched figure, supported by a servant, tottered unsteadily into the hall.

Like a drowning person grasping at a piece of driftwood, Qiuyue broke free from her captors and clung to Zhou Dashan's leg, pleading, "Old Master, please save Qiuyue! Qiuyue doesn't want to die."

Zhou Dashan's appearance made the servant girls freeze in their tracks. They looked back up at Madam Huang, unsure whether to continue dragging the girl or not.

Madam Huang stood up abruptly, staring at Zhou Dashan with a face as cold as ice.

Decades of marriage, and now, just as the family was thriving and flourishing, Zhou Dashan had actually fooled around with a maidservant. Stirring up such a scandal-was he determined to disrupt the family's peace before he was satisfied?

Her voice icy, Madam Huang said, "Old man, what are you doing here?"

Zhou Dashan coughed. His hunched, aged body actually shook off Qiuyue's hands as he stepped forward.

"I just came to see you all."

He knew well that if he showed favoritism now, it would only unsettle the hearts of those serving below. Even if he wanted to save her, it could only be done in the shadows.

Qiuyue was suddenly swallowed by despair, her eyes losing focus. Yet she kept reaching out toward Zhou Dashan, vainly hoping that figure would turn back.

"Old Master, I beg you, please save Qiuyue! Please save the child in my belly, the child is innocent!"

Seeing this outcome, the servant girls on either side sprang into action. They seized Qiuyue and dragged her out like a dead dog. Soon, miserable screams echoed from outside.

The surrounding servant girls all lowered their heads, not daring to breathe too loudly. Some, hearing the screams outside, couldn't help but tremble.

Zhou Dashan slowly walked forward and sat down beside Madam Huang. Only then did her expression soften slightly.

Before long, Zhou Ping appeared in the hall, followed by Zhou Hong and the brothers, including Zhou Minghu.

Half a year ago, he had condensed a wisp of Mountain Clear Qi Yuan, officially becoming a first-tier Qi Condensation cultivator. He had been at the Golden Vine Pool, gathering Spiritual Qi from all directions to nourish and strengthen his spiritual apertures, when news of this scandal broke out at home, prompting his hasty return.

But with his mother on one side and his father on the other, he could not help but find himself in a difficult position.

This was especially true because upon entering, he had seen the maidservant in the courtyard beaten until her skin was split and flesh torn. Her clothes stuck to the bloody mess on her backside, painting a truly miserable sight.

Looking at the situation in the hall, Zhou Ping said in a low voice, "Minghu, go outside and check. If the child in that maidservant's belly is still there, preserve her life and send her to the town. If it is gone, then do not let her live."

No matter what, that was his father's child, a member of their Zhou family. Even if it stirred up some gossip, it was no big deal. In the future, they could let the child live as a wealthy commoner at the foot of the mountain, aiding the family in managing its territory.

As for the maidservant, the moment the child was born, Zhou Ping would not let her live. He would simply find a wet nurse to raise the infant; that was far better than letting her vile nature influence the child.

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Ping's eyes. He wanted these servants to know that trying to elevate their status through their children was absolutely impossible.

Zhou Minghu acknowledged the order and left with Zhou Xuanya. Meanwhile, Zhou Ping and his brother stepped forward to carefully soothe Zhou Dashan and his wife.

Outside in the courtyard, Qiuyue had already been beaten to her last breath. Just as she was about to be beaten to death, Zhou Minghu intervened.

He stepped forward to inspect her. Seeing no massive bleeding, he infused a significant amount of Spiritual Qi into her body to sustain her life. As to whether the fetus was still there, it was hard to say.

Zhou Minghu looked at the several maidservants before him. They were all from Madam Lin's courtyard, sharing their mistress's temperament and never prone to loose lips.

"You lot, carry her to the oxcart in the front courtyard."

"Yes, Third Young Master."

They dared not ask questions. Carrying Qiuyue through multiple gates, they reached an oxcart in the front courtyard. It was piled high with dirty, tangled straw, while other parts of the cart held assorted filth from the mountain.

These servant girls could not help but show a trace of pity, even a sense that the fox mourns the death of the hare. This oxcart was always used to transport filth and garbage down the mountain. Now, throwing the half-dead Qiuyue onto it meant the main family did not even want this lowly wench to die on their grounds, afraid she would defile the immortal mountain.

If they died in the future, they probably wouldn't have the qualifications to die on the immortal mountain either.

But they didn't dwell on such thoughts. They casually tossed Qiuyue onto the cart. What they failed to notice was that Qiuyue, whose breath had been steadily weakening, gradually stabilized. However, since she had long passed out, no one could tell the difference.

Since the grain in the fields had yet to grow, Zhou Changhe continued the work-relief program, employing the villagers to build houses and to level and widen the roads between the four villages and Zhou Family Town.

After months of relentless construction and expansion, Zhou Family Town had achieved a certain scale. Most of the original houses of Niu Family Village had been razed, replaced by wide streets and spacious courtyards, though many remained vacant.

The most iconic structure among them was an academy spanning several acres. Inside, many children were playing; they were all school-age youths from the various villages, alongside the children of the Zhou family's masters and servants.

Zhou Chang'an sat on a stone, his demeanor refined and easygoing as he watched the children frolic. His gaze lingered especially on Zhou Bai and Zhou Chengqian, holding a trace of gentle warmth.

"Sisi, come catch me!"

Zhou Bai ran ahead clutching a sandbag, while Zhou Sisi chased after him amidst joyous laughter. As for Zhou Liang, he shadowed them like a little lackey, sticking close behind the two.

Since Zhou Shi's death, Zhou Liang's circumstances had undergone an earth-shattering transformation. He had once been the son of a steward, the most prominent child outside the Zhou family's direct lineage-calling him a collateral branch member would not have been an overstatement. Now, he was merely Zhou Bai's personal book-boy. Such a vast plunge had already crushed the spirit of a six-year-old child.

He dared not show even a hint of emotion. He could only act like a lapdog, desperately trying to curry favor with Zhou Bai.

Zhou Sisi's situation, however, was the exact opposite. With Zhou Hu suddenly becoming a village steward, Zhou Sisi's status had naturally risen with the tide.

Yet, as Zhou Liang watched Zhou Sisi and Zhou Bai playing happily, a trace of resentment involuntarily surfaced in his eyes, though he hid it deeply.

On the eastern side of Zhou Family Town stood a large compound. It was Niu Zhou's old residence, renovated and expanded into a new estate named the Zhou Manor. Zhou Changhe and the throng of clan soldiers and guards all resided within.

At this moment, however, Zhou Changhe stood at the small side gate of the Zhou Manor, flanked by two servants behind him.

He stared coldly at Qiuyue on the oxcart, then barked, "Carry her into the deep courtyard and lock her up."

The two servants immediately stepped forward and roughly hoisted Qiuyue up. She seemed to sense something, jolting awake and struggling incessantly. But her severe injuries left her body too frail to resist two grown men. Even her mouth was covered, preventing her from making a single sound.

Finally, the suffocating darkness of the deep courtyard completely swallowed Qiuyue until she disappeared from sight.

She would be imprisoned in that sunless inner courtyard, spending her final months of life there. The day her child was born would be the day she died.

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